Abused
by Time Lady Evangeline
Summary: Merlin has always done everything Arthur asks. Now he's run-down, desperately needing a break, on the verge of breaking. But does Arthur seem to care? No! However, as Merlin delves deeper, he realizes that perhaps there is something more to his friend's ignorance. (Abused!Arthur)
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everybody! New story here! I like the idea this one is based on, and I'm excited to see what happens! I hope all of you enjoy it! ****J**** If you guys have a suggestion for a Supernatural fanfiction, please, I'm all ears! I really want to write one, but I need an idea. (This chapter has been edited and re-uploaded, thanks to everyone who gave me a heads-up. I went through and read it, and I realized that when I copy/pasted it, my whole story got jacked up! I was doing it from my school tablet. Thanks again guys!)**

"MERLIN! I'm an hour late for the council meeting, you fool! Hurry up, hurry up!"

"Sorry sire!" Merlin tied his master's boots quickly. "You're finished, go!" He shoved him towards the door, but Arthur grabbed onto his shirt.

"If I've got to sit through the meeting, you've got to be there too!" Arthur began running to the council room. "My father's not going to be happy…" He

muttered, finally slowing as they arrived. Arthur took a deep breath and made his way in, swiftly taking his seat. Uther looked at his son, his gaze holding quiet

anger. Merlin leaned close to Arthur's ear.

"I'm sorry." All Arthur did was nod, listening to what little was left of the meeting. As the people cleared out, Uther called him over. Merlin trailed close

behind. Once everyone had gone, Uther began to speak.

"How could you embarrass me like this, boy?!" Arthur lowered his head.

"I am sorry, Father. It is inexcusable."

Merlin stepped forward. "My lord, I am to blame. I failed to complete my duties to the proper extent. I made him late."

"Merlin, don't." Arthur urged.

"Don't try to cover for me, Arthur! Sire, it was my fault, I assure you."

"Is this so?" Uther said, looking Merlin up and down. "Well then, we'll have to have you put into the stocks. Guards, take him!" Before either of the boys

could object, Merlin was seized by his upper arm and pulled down to the ever-so-familiar feeling of rotten fruit and vegetables being thrown at his head.

He had been there for at least an hour before Gwen came to him. "Merlin?" He groaned in response, and another head of bad lettuce was thrown at him. "I'd

come to talk to you, but it doesn't seem like you're in the position to do much of that."

"Not in a great mood, either." Merlin added, letting his head droop as he sighed.

"I can see that. Do you need anything?"

"Not at the moment."

"Alright then… I've got to go now, but you know where to find me."

He was stuck there for another hour before guards were finally sent to release him. He sighed wearily and straightened his back, going to wash up before

heading to meet Arthur, who was training the knights.

"Did you have fun, Merlin?" Arthur smirked.

"Oh, shut up." He replied grouchily. He was walking with a slight limp, not that Arthur would notice. He was such an arrogant prat, what would he care if his

servant was having trouble? He certainly wouldn't.

"I tried to cover for you, Merlin! You just _had _to step in."

"Whatever." Merlin finished out his duties for the day, and was finally dismissed after serving Arthur his dinner. He wandered down into the courtyard, not

quite ready to go home to Gaius, who would no doubt give him more chores. Gwen happened to be getting water from the well pump when he entered the stone

square.

"Are you alright?" That was the first thing she asked him, immediately noticing his limp and the weary expression on his face. Not to mention the dark

shadows under his eyes and the ghostly paleness of his skin, almost translucent. Merlin didn't answer, just gave her a look that showed his pure exhaustion. "Do you

want to talk about it?"

Merlin made his way to a short wall and sat down on top of it, relieving the pain shooting from his ankle. Gwen tentatively sat beside him. "What's wrong?"

She asked him. She put her hand down between them as she shifted slightly to face him.

"It's Arthur! He's driving me crazy, working me harder than I can go! And he doesn't even care! Sometimes it feels like I'm drowning, Gwen, and I don't

know how much longer I can last. Arthur doesn't care, he and Uther-"

"Uther," She interrupted, "is a cruel and heartless man. But I know you don't see that in Arthur. You can see as well as I do that he's different."

"Gwen!" He said, lacking the firmness he'd hoped for. "I'm tired and weak, Gwen. I think I've sprained my ankle too, but does Arthur care? No. I need a

break. I don't ask for very much, do I? I do everything I can, but it doesn't seem to matter. I hardly have time to provide for myself because I'm running around

doing every bit of work he can dream up! I can't remember the last time I've eaten or slept properly!"

"Merlin, Arthur has a lot on his shoulders, as do you. I know he can be arrogant, and pompous, but he really does care."

"I don't think I can do it anymore. Perhaps I should resign…"

"You can't do that!" Gwen blurted, quickly composing herself before continuing. "He needs you, Merlin. You're the only one he really trusts. He has to have

you beside him."

"He doesn't act like it! He's running me into the ground!"

"Please, Merlin. Promise me you won't quit."

"Whatever. I need to go have Gaius check my ankle. Goodnight." He stood and began to walk away. Gwen stood behind him, watching his back as she bit her

lip and clenched her fists, her heart rate and breaths quickening. She gave in.

"Merlin, wait!" She ran in front of him, placing her hands on his chest. She looked up at him desperately, tears forming in her eyes. "You don't know-you

haven't seen… what's been happening."

"What are you talking about?" Gwen took a deep, shaky breath as she tried to stop her tears before they fell.

"I had suspected, with the way Arthur had been so desperate to please Uther as of late, the panicked expression he would get when he realized he had done

something wrong. But it wasn't until today, after the meeting, that I was-that I was sure he-he..." Gwen sobbed once, covering her eyes with her arm, but keeping

the other hand firmly against Merlin's chest. He put a hand on her shoulder.

"Alright, alright, Gwen. I'll try and be nicer to him, but right now, I've really got to go have Gaius check my ankle." He tried to let her go, and started to walk

away. He felt almost criminal leaving her there like that. She ran in front of him again, shoving him as hard as she could to be sure he stopped.

"You misunderstand!" Her fingers entwined themselves in Merlin's shirt as she fought to find the words without breaking down. "After the meeting, I saw

them take you away, and I stayed watching Arthur and his father. I hid beside a wall. Uther was so angry, his voice rose louder and louder at Arthur. And well,

Arthur, he was so… so afraid." Gwen's voice trembled terribly. "Uther grabbed his shoulders tight, and slammed him into the wall. He took his left hand…" She looked

at her hand on Merlin's chest, as if it were Uther's. "He thrust his fist into Arthur's stomach. I could see how much it hurt him, not just on the outside. Arthur fell to

his knees, gasping and holding his stomach. Uther looked down at him so, so very coldly, and took his fist again, striking Arthur in the temple as he strode off. God,

he's hurting him, he's hurting him! I don't know what to do, Merlin!"

Raw and bitter anger gripped the manservant's heart as he held tighter to Gwen. He didn't know what to say, what could he say? There were no words to

express the rage building in his soul towards the king. He let Gwen go, and began walking towards the castle with a purpose. "Where are you going?" She asked him,

jogging to keep up.

"Uther." She froze, grabbing his wrist tightly. He turned to face her.

"You can't do that! Think about it, Merlin. What could you possibly do?"

"Well I'm not just going to sit around and let this happen!"

"If you go to the king directly, not only are you likely to be punished, maybe even exiled or executed, but you will bring more wrath upon Arthur. Do you

really want to hurt him more? I want to do something for him as much as you do, but we have to tread carefully. Anything we do could hurt him more."

Merlin sighed. "What should we do?"

"Just talk to him. See if you can get him to say anything about it. It will make him more comfortable thinking that he was the one who told you." Merlin

nodded.

"We're gonna help him, Gwen. I promise."


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys I'm back! Sorry, I've been neglecting this story to devote myself to another Merlin fanfic on my account, "You Are My Friend, Now and Forevermore" I'm actually very proud of that one :) Anyways, here's a new chapter!**

Arthur lay on his bed, too weak to pull himself into it. He was still fully dressed, and _wow _did his chest hurt. Actually, everything hurt. He'd never tell anyone, though. How could he? His father was the king, it wasn't as if anyone could actually help him. Plus, the closest thing he had to a real friend was Merlin, and he had yet to notice anything was wrong. Besides, he should be strong enough, he told himself. He should be able to handle the pain.

Yet at the same time, he knew he couldn't. It wasn't just the physical pain, it was seeing the surge of bitter hate in his father's eyes, making him want to retreat further into the dark recesses of his mind, just so that perhaps he could find some brief escape from the thoughts and pain… all that _pain…_ that tormented him.

There was a knock at the door. Arthur looked over, struggling to pull himself up straight up into a sitting position. He took a deep, painful breath before speaking. "Enter." To his surprise, Merlin came through the door. "What are you doing here? I dismissed you." Arthur casually moved his hand to his bruised temple, attempting to hide it. Merlin already knew it was there, he had seen it the moment he entered, and again the rage began to build up inside him.

"I know, I just thought you might want me to get you ready for bed." Arthur thought about it for a moment, and realized that there was no way he would be able to do it on his own.

"Alright then. Fetch my nightclothes." Merlin did so, carefully watching Arthur's every move… or rather, lack of movement. The prince hadn't even come to his dressing curtain. Instead, he sat rather uneasily on his bed, and it didn't look as if he planned to move anytime soon. So, Merlin brought the clothes to him. Now that he was looking, Merlin couldn't believe he'd missed how much pain Arthur was in.

In fact, Arthur could hardly stand up. His breath labored and he shook terribly, holding onto the bedpost. Whatever training he'd done with the knights that day must have aggravated his condition to an almost unbearable point. Still, Merlin didn't want to jump into it straight away, so he eased it onto him. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"Fine." Merlin sighed, pulling the shirt over Arthur's head. He winced in pain when he raised up his arms, Merlin acted like he didn't see it. He went to take off Arthur's undershirt, but the prince resisted. "It's alright, I'll just sleep in this." He insisted.

"But, I have a perfectly good shirt here."

"I don't care, it's fine."

"Are you hurt?" Merlin asked him. Arthur's heart began to race.

"No, no, I'm fine."

"You can't even stand properly!" Merlin sighed. "Arthur, you can tell me what's wrong."

"There are things you cannot understand! You are just a servant. I am a prince! What I do, how I act, affects the future of Camelot. You cannot understand how it feels to have so much to be responsible for. You cannot understand what it's like to let my father down. Not only is he my father, he is my king." Arthur looked down.

"Is this about your father? What's going on?"

"No! I just…" Arthur looked up at him, desperate for help yet knowing Merlin couldn't give it to him. He bit his lip. "You can go, Merlin."

"Let me help you into bed. I may not know what's wrong, but at least let me help with what I can." Arthur agreed, albeit reluctantly, knowing that without Merlin's help it was unlikely he'd ever get to bed. "You can tell me what's troubling you, Arthur." Merlin said as he left. "Perhaps I'll be able to understand more than you think. And, even if I can't, I'll be there for you. You can count on me." And then he slipped out the door, before Arthur even had the chance to say thank you.

Merlin felt so lost, even in the hallways he'd walked so many times. He forgot about his foot. He had never felt so helpless, wanting nothing more than to help Arthur. Perhaps he should go to Gaius… but then, Arthur would be upset at Gwen. Maybe he could tell Gaius without giving her away…

He pushed open the door and made his way inside. Gaius had dinner ready on the table for him, and Merlin took his seat. "Smells good. Thank you."

"You're quite welcome." They sat in silence, Merlin forgetting to eat, zoning out. He could do nothing but think of Arthur. His spoon slipped out of his hand and hit the table beside his bowl, pulling him out of his reverie.

"Oh, my bad." He began to clean up the drops of soup that had spilled.

"What's wrong, my boy?" Gaius asked, looking at him worriedly, noticing his sluggish pace and tired eyes. Merlin sighed.

"Nothing, Gaius."

"You know you can tell me anything, don't you?"

"Not this time. Not yet." Merlin looked up from his bowl. "I really wish I could, Gaius, I wish I could. But Arthur would be so upset... I can't do that to him." He closed his eyes for a moment, turning his head to the side.

"It'll be alright. I trust you to make whatever decision you believe is right."

"I don't trust myself, and Arthur certainly doesn't trust me."

"Merlin, you are tired. Finish your food and go to sleep. You will be well-suited to face whatever comes at you in the morning." Merlin nodded, finishing his stew with Gaius back in his seat. His thoughts had been drifting to possible beatings Arthur had suffered, wondered how long it had been happening. His mind took him to the thought of Uther murdering Arthur out of blind rage, Arthur's face as he lay dying at the hands of his own father, and it was too much. Merlin's eyes brimmed with tears.

"Gaius." His throat was tight, his voice betraying his emotions. The old man looked up, ready to comfort, to listen, to help. Merlin swiped his arm over his eyes, not allowing his tears to fall. "It's Arthur." His voice was not nearly where he wanted it to be, despite how hard he was trying to remain controlled. He rested his right elbow on the table and let out a single sob, unable to stifle the visualizations running through his mind. Gaius was by his side in an instant, resting a hand on his shoulder, allowing Merlin to regain himself. "Uther-" He choked out. "Uther…" Gaius could not quite make the pieces fit.

"What is it, Merlin?" The boy sat up straight, taking a deep breath, his mind working furiously to determine the best way to say this.

"Uther… is beating Arthur. I just found out today, I didn't know, but he's hurt! He could hardly move, but after the meeting, Uther hit him, and I don't know what else he might have-" As he spoke, the words became more rushed.

"Merlin! Slow down!"

"Uther is abusing Arthur. He's injured, Gaius. I don't know how long it's been happening." It was plain to see that a quiet, calm, well-deserved anger was rising up in Gaius. It was quickly masked by his professionalism as he went to gather his medical supplies together. "Wait-Gaius." Merlin said, and the old man turned around to face him. "Arthur hasn't come to me himself. Give me another day so that I can get him to confide in me, maybe learn details. If you go now, he'll be upset. Please, just a day." Gaius sighed.

"How badly is he injured?" Merlin bit his lip.

"I can't be sure. If it is very bad, I will come get you. I promise." Gaius still remained uncertain.

"You know I value Arthur's life far above my own. I was born to protect that man, and I intend to do just that until the day I die. When I say that I'll come get you, I mean it." Gaius hugged Merlin.

"I am so proud of you, Merlin. You've grown so much, you've become strong. I am so, so proud." Merlin buried himself deeply into his uncle's shoulder, all of the tension of the responsibility melting off of him for that sweet moment. His body trembled as exhaustion overtook him. Gaius held him tightly, knowing he needed the comfort. Then, he sent him to bed and cleared the table, beginning to make a pain draught for Merlin to slip into Arthur's drink the next morning.


	3. Chapter 3

**I'M BACK! It's been over a year, and I am so, so, so sorry. But I'm back! And I bring an update! Please don't hurt me!**

The night was long, too long, for both of them. While Merlin tossed and turned, nearly sick with an emotion he couldn't identify, Arthur lay completely still, body aching and every breath slowly becoming more painful than the last.

As soon as the morning sun peeked over the horizon, Merlin leaped out of bed, hastily throwing on his clothes and leaving before having his own breakfast. He stopped by the kitchens to pick up Arthur's breakfast, then went straight to the prince's chambers, with a slight knock for the sake of minor courtesy.

"Time to get up, Your Royal Pratness," Merlin said, attempting to feign lightheartedness as he set the tray on the table, pouring the pain draught into his cup. There was no immediate reply, but that was normal. "There's quite a spread here for you today, seems like whoever is working in the kitchens is completely disregarding the need for you to keep your noble figure."

There was still no reply, and despite this being standard Arthur behavior, Merlin was becoming more and more uneasy. It was then that he heard it, the wheezing sound that Arthur made every time he drew in a far-too-shallow breath. He rushed to his master's bedside, frantic now. The young Pendragon's eyes were open, just a crack, pleading with the manservant to help him.

Merlin sent for Gaius, but wasted no time in assessing the situation. The court physician had been training him, after all. By the sound of Arthur's lungs, he had already identified the problem, but didn't quite want to believe it. He ripped Arthur's shirt carefully down the middle and spread it away from his abdomen, gasping at what he saw. His fears were confirmed as he laid eyes on the dark purple bruises that liddled his stomach, chest, and sides, and the rib bones that were very obviously broken.

Gaius rushed into the prince's chambers in record time, and Merlin was slightly relieved, because he no longer had to face this alone.

"He's got a punctured lung," he told the physician, who after looking to the prince, took immediate action.

"We need to get the ribs set and binded before they cause more damage. Can you do that while I start prepare an incense to burn for his lungs?" Merlin was hesitant to answer, but realized there wasn't enough time to waste any of it with uncertainties. He nodded and began the difficult task.

"Arthur, I'm so sorry. This is going to hurt." He had to be firm, but not too firm. And it all had to be very precise.

If Arthur had enough breath in him to scream, he definitely would have. The snap of the bones popping back into place made Merlin queasy. However, his hands remained steady and his focus never drifted from his work. With even the smallest touch, Arthur's muscles contracted in pain. His face was a ghostly shade of white, contorted in agony. He wished he could use magic, but with Arthur awake, it was too big of a risk. It wasn't long before the pain dragged the prince into unconsiousness.

Gaius burned the mix of herbs and held them near the prince's face for that he could breathe them in, and speed up the renewing of the cells making up his lung tissue. Merlin was wrapping Arthur's abdomen tightly in bandages, and it was a relief to hear his breaths become slightly deeper and clearer. Once the job was complete, the young warlock found himself breathing a shaky sigh. He stepped back and nearly collapsed, his entire body trembling and knees weak. Gaius noticed immediately and led his ward to a chair before he could no longer stand.

"You did well, my boy. He's going to be okay."

But all Merlin could think about what the marks on Arthur's body. The bruises, the cuts, the _burns_. And then all of those broken ribs, that pain would have been excruciating. His mind pulled him back to the sound of the ribs snapping back, and his stomach churned. Gaius knew, and handed him the bucket that Merlin used for cleaning, but the boy could only dry heave.

Tears rolled down Merlin's cheeks now, as it was finally safe to react. He sobbed into Gaius's shoulder as the man offered his comfort.

It was then that Uther burst in, demanding to know what had happened. It took all Merlin had to not lash out at him, to let his magic loose and just let him have it, exactly what he deserved. Gaius could see the boy's struggle, and suggested that Uther come to the hallway with him.

Once in the hall, certain that there was no one around, Gaius's face darkened, turning to look at the king coldly. In the voice he hadn't used since the Great Purge, he spoke.

"No more."


	4. Chapter 4

**Another update?! Whaaaaaat?! Sorry if these are kind of short, but I end them where I feel they should end. Also, the medical stuff in the last chapter, I have no idea what they actually would've done back then for a lung punctured by a broken rib, so i made it up. Arthur probably would've died, but Gaius and Merlin are the best physicians ever and they knew what to do, ok? ok.**

"No more."

Uther stared back at him, and was almost afraid. He tilted his head downward and wore the most stoic expression he could muster. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You will listen to me, Pendragon!" Gaius started, his tone sharp and forceful, "Had the his manservant not come in early today, Arthur would be dead, and his blood would be on your hands. This is not something I find easily excusable, even if you are the king. What could have possibly possessed you to do such a thing?!" As he had spoke, Gaius's voice lowered to an almost menacing whisper.

"I'm sorry, I let my anger get the best of me yesterday."

Gaius's initial reaction would have been to shove him, but his mind reminded him of who it was he was speaking to, even if the man before him didn't deserve his title. "Yesterday?! Just judging by the scars on his abdomen, it's been a lot longer than a single day. This is abuse, Uther."

The king turned his head so that he didn't have to look the court physician in the eye. "I couldn't help it."

"_Couldn't help it?!_ That's your excuse? You are in control of your own actions, _Sire_." The normally respectful title was bitter on Gaius's tongue as he continued. "I am absolutely certain that you could help it."

Uther was becoming angry now. "What right do you have to speak to me in this manner?! I am your king!"

"A king of Camelot is meant to be noble and brave, assuring the well being of his subjects, including his own children! You are no king." Uther's rage grew even stronger, and he slammed his fist against the wall beside him. Gaius took a step back and sighed. "How could you do this to your son?"

Uther's voice lowered and in his eyes Gaius saw a hatred in him that he had only seen once before, the night of Igraine's death. "Arthur is no son of mine." Gaius could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"How can you say that, Uther? That boy is your flesh and blood, you've raised him since he birth! You taught him how to ride his horse and how to hold his sword, and until now, you've never once thought of him as anything but your boy, whom you have always loved and cherished."

"He's changed, Gaius. He is no longer loyal, he questions my judgement and I fear that he will one day turn on me completely. He was born of magic, Gaius. What if somehow, it changes him? How can I leave the kingdom in the hands of someone I cannot trust?"

"Magic? Is that what this is about? Has hatred spread and deepened now, Uther? In that case, it is time for you to arrest the entire kingdom. Burn down the castle and execute those who survive, because if you have found blame in Arthur, then surely you have found blame in us all. There is not a single person alive who has not been, in some way, affected by magic. You can let the punishment start with me," he held out his hands, as if the king was going to restrain him, "and finish with yourself. Because you are guilty, Sire, far more guilty than Arthur. If you look deep within yourself, you will find that it is not hatred for the boy that resides within you, or even hatred for magic. No, the real hatred here, Uther Pendragon, is the hatred you harbor for yourself."

"Silence! That's enough!" Gaius stepped forward once more, coming dangerously close to the angry king.

"Deep down, you know that all of this has been an attempt to find recompence for what you made happen to Igraine. That's all you've ever really hated, what you did to her. And now, despite that, you've nearly destroyed the only trace of her you have left. But let me tell you something right now: This is over, right now."

Uther tried to step around him to get to Arthur's door. "I will see him." Gaius shifted again, his eyes daring the king to take another step.

"You will not."

In an angry huff, Uther stormed off, and Gaius released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! This chapter took me a little longer to upload than I would've liked, but here it is!**

Gaius walked back into the room. Arthur needed to be examined completely so that the physician could take account of and treat his various wounds, so the old man got to work. Merlin was in no condition to help, still shaking terribly, his normally pale skin nearly translucent after the ordeal. The boy hadn't quite been himself recently, and Gaius had meant to speak to him about it. These events surely weren't helping him.

He wanted to get Merlin out of the room before he started categorizing the prince's injuries. It'd be too much for his already compromised ward. He thought to the boy's dry heaves, and turned to him.

"When was the last time you ate a proper amount, Merlin?" Gaius had noticed he had been getting unusually thin, worse than was typical of the young man, and now that the physician took time to really look at him, he realized he was appearing rather sickly.

"I had dinner with you last night."

"I'd hardly call that meager bit of stew you had a 'proper amount.' Before that?" Merlin was silent for a moment.

"I can't remember."

"For goodness sake, Merlin! Go get yourself some food while I tend to him." The manservant made no move to leave. Gaius sighed. "I know you want to stay, but I don't think it's a good idea. Just sit this one out, okay? He's fine, and you can be sure to be here when he wakes up, as I suspect with the pain mixed with the herb treatment will keep him out for several hours. Why don't you go inform Gwenivere of what's happened while you're out?"

"That's a good idea." He looked to the bed once more. "You'll tell me what you find, won't you?" Gaius nodded in affirmation, and with a sigh, Merlin walked to the door.

"And Merlin?" His ward turned to look at him. "Make sure you get some rest." Though as the boy left, Gaius was certain that he wouldn't listen.

oooOOOoooOOOooo

Merlin found Gwenivere on her normal morning route, but couldn't find the words to tell her what had happened. His head was swimming, and as she approached him, he found his knees growing weaker.

"Merlin? Are you alright? You look positively awful." The handmaiden moved to lay the back of her hand against his forehead, but paused when she noted his expression. Her voice became hardly more than a whisper. "What's happened?"

"Arthur," He choked out, biting back tears.

"What's happened to Arthur?" Her words were coated with a forced calm, trying to pry information from him without causing him more distress.

"He... He almost died. This morning." She covered her mouth with her hands in shock, letting the laundry basket tumble from her arms.

_"__What happened?"_ she asked, aghast.

Allowing his anger to fester, Merlin spoke firmly. "Uther broke several of his ribs and one of them punctured his lung. We were able to set the bones in time and help along the healing process. But he has far more injuries, this must have been happening for a while. It's bad, Gwen. And I only saw his torso."

"How could he have done this? I thought he loved Arthur."

"It definitely doesn't seem like it. He couldn't have done those things if he loved him. The scars… cuts, bruises, _burns_. Burns, Gwen! Uther _burned _him."

"Where is Arthur now? Is he safe?"

"Gaius is tending to him. I don't think Uther will dare to interfere."

With a heavy sigh, Gwenivere picked up the laundry basket she had dropped, gathering the clothes that had spilled. "Let me know when he can be seen." Before she had walked very far, she turned back. "Eat something, Merlin." Gaius hadn't been the only one to notice Merlin's shrinking frame. He gave her a half-nod before walking off down the hall.

He made his way to the chambers that he and Gaius shared, to his little bedroom, to his bed. He sat on it, and in his solitude he gave way to his tears once again. He wept bitterly, frustrated and broken.

Merlin took a deep breath. His brokeness didn't matter now. All that mattered was Arthur. Arthur and Arthur's safety.

How could he have been so blind? All of those wounds, they would have caused the prince a great amount of pain. By the sound of his breathing that morning, he wouldn't have lived another hour without help. Did Arthur have to nearly die for him to recognize a problem?

_Die._ Arthur nearly _died._ If he'd fallen asleep last night, Gaius would have woken him at the normal time, he'd have gone to bring his master breakfast slightly late, as usual. But it wouldn't have been as usual; Arthur Pendragon would have been _dead_.

The thought made Merlin feel ill. He would've been sick, but there was nothing in his stomach to expel. Rather than give it something to get rid of, he resigned himself to sleep.

**Reviews keep me going.**


	6. Chapter 6

**This is longer than my usual chapters, but I always tend to get carried away when Merlin and Arthur have heart-to-heart talks. And so there's a brief hand holding here but this is not a Merthur fic. I intended it as a gesture of comfort, not romance. (But if you ship it, go ahead and read it that way haha) xD Okay, read on!**

If Gaius had been furious before, now, he was absolutely livid. Upon further examination, he found that the young prince's injuries went beyond the extent that he'd anticipated.

The court physician noted every injury he found on scrap bit of scroll, so that he could be sure to treat them all. The list seemed to be endless, including an infected stab wound on his right thigh, the marks of a whip being dragged across his back, and a rather nasty burn from what appeared to be a hot fireplace poker on his left side. Some of the wounds had already healed, leaving the boy with jagged scars all over his body. It was a twisted kind of miracle that no one had been able to see what was so plainly in front of them, to help him sooner.

oooOOOoooOOOooo

Merlin woke, and got out of bed almost immediately, resulting in a rather severe dizzy spell. After taking a moment to get his bearings, he walked back to Prince Arthur's chambers. Gaius was sitting in a chair beside the bed, but stood when his ward entered, hoping he'd look better. Much to his dismay, the opposite was true. It wasn't much of a surprise, though, he'd only been gone an hour.

"Sit, Merlin." He gestured to his abandoned chair, and his concern grew when Merlin didn't protest, simply taking his seat quietly.

"So fill me in." The young man said, gesturing to the paper in his guardian's hand, the one that filled him with dread as he realized how much was written on it.

"It's not good." Instead of reading everything to him, he handed the paper to Merlin. The boy blinked a few times then read it, looking to his friend as his guilt began to fester, taking root deep within his heart.

"How could I have not known?"

"It seems all of suffered from a severe case of selective blindness this time."

Merlin sighed, shaking his head. It felt like he was crying, but no tears came. So his breathing hitched unsteadily and his shoulders shook, and he let the note slip from his fingers out onto the floor. Arthur's wounds had been tended to, and hopefully he'd heal completely, though that was unlikely. But it'd all scar, there was no way around that, and it seemed the scars would go deeper than skin. The young warlock knew it'd take a long while for the scars Uther had left on his heart to fade.

"I'm going to go make him a stronger pain draught, but I'll have to go buy the herbs I need. Can you look after him?" Merlin nodded, and there were no more words to be exchanged as Gaius left the room. With a golden glint in his eyes and a firm whisper of "_Obsignari iubet__!_", the young warlock sealed the door to the room.

After that, Gaius came and went as need be while Merlin sat faithfully at his master's side, opening the door only for his guardian. The sun was beginning to set when the prince finally began to stir. His breathing hitched unsteadily for a moment, then he opened his eyes.

He immediately panicked, bolting upright, then crying out in pain as he gripped at his broken ribs.

"Lay back!" The manservant pushed him down into his pillows, and as the pain lessened in intensity, Arthur quieted.

Merlin let out a sigh. "You gave us all a terrible fright."

Arthur ignored the remark, and Merlin could see the pain in his eyes shift to fear. "Where is my father?"

Merlin's stomach twisted in knots. How did he not recognize that before now? Thinking back, it had been obvious. Arthur's voice pulled him out of his reverie.

"Where is he?!"

Merlin laid a hand on Arthur's shoulder, and the prince flinched under his light touch. Realizing what he had done, Arthur was ashamed and refused to meet his manservant's gaze.

"You're safe, Arthur. I promise." Their eyes met, but Arthur didn't seem to able to comprehend the sentence. "He's not going to hurt you again." At this, the blonde turned his head away. "You don't have to be ashamed of it, Arthur. It wasn't your fault. You know that, don't you?" Merlin pulled his chair closer and sat in it, finding that standing was becoming increasingly difficult. "Please tell me you understand that."

Already knowing the answer that the prince wasn't willing to give, Merlin stopped pressing him, and the room fell quiet once more as Arthur was dragged back into the darkness of sleep.

oooOOOoooOOOooo

Another day passed with Arthur in and out of coherence. He developed a fever from his infected wound, which thankfully, Gaius and Merlin were able to keep at a reasonable temperature until it finally broke. Late that night, Arthur woke and pushed himself into a slightly more upright position, just enough to not jar his aching ribs.

His movement alerted Merlin, who had nearly dozed off. "What happened?" Arthur inquired. Merlin blinked, and it seemed like he was searching for words.

"Well… your father… he-"

"I know," Arthur cut in sharply, wincing as he aggravated his ribs, "I mean, while I was out. I vaugely remember finding it hard to breathe, then you came in, and I suppose you must have been binding my ribs, then… nothing. Oh, and I remember you telling me I was…"

"Was what?"

"Safe."

"Oh, yeah," Merlin answered almost sheepishly. "Well, you are."

"How?" Despite his attempt to hide it, Arthur's voice cracked as the lump in his throat grew bigger.

"Gaius, mostly. It's over now, Arthur, all of it. You don't have to be afraid anymore."

"I don't understand, how did he-?"

"Don't underestimate Gaius. He has a way with things that not even I can fully understand."

"And… how long ago was that morning?"

"Only a couple of days, not this morning, but the morning before."

"Don't tell me you've been here the enitre time?"

"No, I had to leave for an hour that first morning." Arthur sighed, and the ache became a sharp pain for a little more than a moment before dulling again.

"You didn't have to do that."

"I've told you, I'm always going to be at your side. Protecting you."

"It seems I've underestimated you yet again. Though I'm hardly surprised this time. But you cannot protect me from the king. I should be able to stand up for myself."

"That's the thing, you don't have to! You always seem to think that this life, this burden, this… _destiny_ is yours to bear alone. But you aren't alone, Arthur. If you keep travelling this road by yourself, it's going to destroy you and the future of Camelot with it. It's okay to need a little help sometimes, to take even a small bit of the weight off your shoulders. And most of the time, you won't even need that much, you're quite capable. Sometimes, all you'll need is a hand to guide you." Merlin held out his hand, and after a few seconds of thought, Arthur took it tentatively.

"Somehow, you always seem to have the best words in the worst of times."

"Well, I'm a rubbish servant, so I suppose I have to be good at something else to make up for it." He squeezed the prince's hand gently before releasing it, sitting back with a goofy grin on his face. Arthur found himself smiling too.

"I suppose so." Arthur let out a chuckle before realizing what the consequence would be. He curled in slightly on himself, sealing his lips shut tightly to avoid any exclamation of pain.

"Don't speak anymore. I'm sure it's painful. So, I guess I'll just… tell a story then?"

He waited until Arthur gave him a gentle smile and a half-hearted eye roll to continue. Uncertainly, the manservant began filling the silence. "Uh, okay, so once upon a time, there was a… kingdom. It was a rather wonderful place, and in it, there was a rather… for lack of a better word, wonderful prince. This prince, however, was hopelessly lost without his manservant, a man who was so fantastic, so absoluely amazing, so-" He was stopped short by Arthur's raised eyebrow, feigning annoyance, but Merlin knew he loved it. "Okay, okay, anyways, the kingdom was under attack. By… a dragon." It was only after the words came out of his mouth that Merlin realized where this story was going to go.

**Please please please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I was bored, so here's another chapter :)**

Merlin looked down and realized Arthur was listening intently. "The weapons of the knights were useless against the dragon's power, so the kingdom had to search for help from a man who was known as the last dragonlord, a man who could speak to dragons. The prince and his trusty manservant ventured into enemy territory in search of this man who might be able to save the kingdom. But… but the manservant knew things that the prince didn't. You see, the manservant had made a terrible mistake. Not that he'd had any choice in the matter, but it was a mistake nontheless. And there was another secret, one that had him nearly bursting at the seams with uncertainties, one that he desprately wanted to share with the prince, because they both knew that in another life, they'd be best friends. In fact, they already were, in every unofficial way."

He paused a moment, looking to Arthur who was becoming increasingly interested. The man had known that his servant was hiding something during that trip, but he'd never been able to figure out what.

"Anyway, they continued, and found the man called Balinor. Well, technically, the manservant found Balinor, as the prince had fallen unconsious because he's a dollophead who thinks he can use sheer willpower to conquer an infected wound. Balinor helped the prince recover, but when they stated their request, refused to offer his assitance." Merlin wanted to avoid mentioning Uther as much as possible, so skipped the reasoning behind Balinor's answer.

"So they left, but soon after, the dragonlord changed his mind and decided to join them. The prince and his manservant were relieved, and for one night, it seemed like everything would be okay. It was short lived, however, when they woke the next morning to an attack of enemy knights. The manservant would have lost his life then, but Balinor… jumped in front of the sword to protect him, sacrificing his own life for that of the manservant." And just like that, the lies began to unwravel. Merlin spoke faster, almost feverishly. "And I… the manservant held him and begged him to live, but Balinor knew it was his time, and told him that he believed in him, told him that he knew the manservant would make him proud, because they both knew something that they hadn't a couple of days before. Because laying there, dying, was a father. And the one holding him… was his son."

Arthur's eyes widened, and he shifted to sit up a bit more, disregarding the pain. "Merlin, I had no idea." But Merlin had gone quiet, and in the dim candlelight he made out the dark circles under his sunken eyes, and the tremor that had increased tenfold in the last few minutes. If Arthur couldn't see his dry cheeks, he'd have thought he was crying.

"I'm so sorry… and I'd told you that- Oh." Arthur realized the pain he'd caused Merlin during that time, telling him that he should not cry for any man, but he hadn't known that man had been his _father_. Merlin had both met and lost his father in less than 24 hours, and Arthur had been there, yet Merlin still faced it alone.

"I'm sorry, Merlin." It was all he could think to say. Merlin should be angry, he should yell at Arthur for being so heartless, but he wasn't. At least, it didn't seem like it. He sighed, a sad smile gracing his lips.

"What for? It wasn't your fault." When Arthur couldn't find any more words, Merlin stood. "You should rest, Sire." Merlin saw the fear beginning to manifest in his prince's eyes.

"M-Merlin,"

"Don't worry," he said, dragging his chair over to the window where he could look out at the sky, "I've no intention of leaving you." And with that, he planted himself in his seat, reflecting silently on what he'd revealed to Arthur. It wasn't everything, but it was a start, and a rather decent start at that.

The prince watched his manservant for a few minutes before sleep claimed him.

oooOOOoooOOOooo

He woke the next morning to Gaius's voice. "Merlin?! Merlin!" Arthur sat up at the commotion and saw Merlin huddled in the corner, eyes glazed over and looking as if he was running scared. He struggled weakly against Gaius, who after taking hold of his flailing wrists, put the back of his hand to his head worriedly. He then took Merlin's hand and pinched the dry skin, watching as it slowly returned to its place.

"Oh, for God's sake, Merlin!" He reached for the goblet on the table and filled it with water from the pitcher, holding it to the boy's lips. He drank it, and Gaius repeated the process two more times.

"What's happening to him, Gaius?!" That was the first time the old man had noticed Arthur.

"He's severly dehydrated, and it would seem he'd reached the stage of delusions. I fear he hasn't been taking very good care of himself."

Leaving Merlin for a moment, the physician filled the goblet again then rushed to his bag and removed a couple of herbs he had already grinded, stirring them into the goblet. With an added scoop of honey, he carried it to Merlin and made him drink it, and once it was completely finished, he helped him to his chair.

In the morning light, Arthur realized how frail and weak Merlin looked. He was much thinner than Arthur remembered, when had that happened? It seemed like he might just be blown away by the autumn breeze if someone so much as opened a window. Surely it couldn't have all been in the couple of days he'd been laid up, so how could he have missed it? He'd been caught up with his father's punishments, he'd paid no mind to Merlin during the whole ordeal.

"Will he be okay?"

"I believe so. He just needs to rest."

" 'm fine," Merlin mumbled.

"Merlin, don't be ridiculous. You can hardly speak!" Arthur protested.

"He's right, my boy."

The manservant looked Gaius in the eyes and spoke with a respectful defiance. "I won't leave him."

Gaius understood, of course. If there was anyone who could truly protect Arthur from his father, it was Merlin. Still, he couldn't allow the boy to continue in this manner. "You will be of no use to anyone if you remain incapacitated. I'll stay with him. You know how to treat yourself, but I swear, if you cut corners, so help me I'll-"

"Okay, Gaius." It was surprising to actually win an argument with Merlin, but it was obvious that he was out of strength to protest. He went to the door and asked the nearest guard to send for Gwen, who would be able to help him down to the physician's chambers and to assure his ward got what he needed.

**REEEVIEEEW!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry this took so much longer than I'd hoped it would, but here it is!**

Gwen was quick to arrive, and Gaius helped Merlin to the door, though he could barely stand. "Thank you for doing this, Gwen. I apologize for the trouble."

"It's no trouble at all." She caught a glimpse into the room and saw Arthur's sleeping figure underneath the blankets. "How's he?"

"We will know with time." Gwen pursed her lips and nodded, taking Merlin's arm and wrapping it around her own shoulders. It was then she realized how skinny the boy was, she was almost afraid she'd break his arm if she bent it the wrong way.

Gaius closed the door and Gwen heard it lock. "C'mon, Merlin." She did most of the work to get them to the physician's chambers, as simply picking up his feet proved to be extremely taxing for him.

Once she got him settled onto the patient's bed, Merlin started to fall asleep.

"No you don't." Gwen protested, shaking him. "You need to tell me what to give you."

"Water."

"That's it?"

"Yeah."

"Have you eaten?" she asked incredulously.

"Not since… since…"

"Since when?"

"I'm trying to remember."

Gwen sighed and went to see if there was anything in the cupboards. To her dismay, they were mostly bare, except for some stale bread and a bit of dried fruit. She wondered how on earth Gaius and Merlin had been managing.

"I'm going to go get some proper food from the palace kitchens," she told Merlin as she poured him a cup of water. "You drink this, and I'll be back as quick as I can."

After ensuring that Merlin would be alright for at least a short while, she left and hurried to the castle.

She was passing one of the lower corridors when she heard a frustrated shout, then a crash and shattering sound. Gwen paused and listened, and after hearing another shout, she realized it was the voice of the king.

Uther shouted at the young maiden to clear up the mess he'd made. He'd knocked over the vase in his tantrum and the poor girl happened to be the only one there. Gwen saw that she was already trembling with fear as she was given her order, and she didn't blame her; Uther's face was the definition of rage.

"I-I'll go fetch a mop and broom," she stammered, and made to leave.

"There's a towel there," Uther said, stopping her. "just pick it up."

Without another word, she obeyed, hastily moving to collect the shattered shards with her bare hands, biting her lower lip to keep from crying out when the porcelin sliced her fingers. That was when Gwen entered, curtsying. "Sire."

"What do you want?!"

Gwen turned to the young girl and took the towel from her, speaking softly. "Go on, it's alright. I've got it." She nodded and ran out, while Gwen bent and used the towel to both collect the shards and sop up the water.

She watched Uther as he paced the room. It was odd to see him down here, so near the servant's quarters. When he looked back to her, she quickly averted her eyes back to the floor, gathering the flowers that had been in the vase.

If looks could kill, Uther's gaze would have burned a hole straight through her. "You," Gwen heard the king speak and dared to look up, "you know the serving boy Merlin." She nodded hesitantly.

"Where is he?" _Oh._ A pit formed in Gwen's stomach.

"I don't know, Sire. I haven't seen him today. T-Though he does have a… tendency to be late." She stood, having cleaned up the mess.

"I see."

"May I be dismissed, my lord?"

"You may. And if you see Merlin, send him to me."

"Yes, Your Highness."

She left quickly without another word. Uther clenched his fists, frustrated and bitter. This was all that manservant's fault. He must've seen him _disciplining _Arthur and reported it to Gaius. That pesky boy was always sneaking about. He continued to pace. And who did Gaius think he was? Uther had spared him all those years ago during the great purge, and this was how he repaid him – with more defiance.

The king didn't know why he'd allowed the physician to speak to him in such a manner. Perhaps it was because he knew he'd gone too far yesterday, when he'd punched Arthur's ribcage and he'd heard the crack of his bones beneath his fist. Perhaps it was because he knew Gaius was right in his accusations of self-hatred turned to malice. Or perhaps it was because he'd realized that Arthur really was still his son, as he looked up at him with those terror-struck blue eyes, the same eyes that once belonged to his Igraine.

Uther was uncertain of everything. Well, almost everything. Magic would _always _be evil. He paced the room, wishing that sorry excuse for a manservsant would just get down here and _do his job_, so that Uther could teach him a proper lesson. As the king had thought about it, that boy was the reason for many of his son's shortcomings, his disobedience. Why had he hired the fool in the first place? _Oh, yes._ He'd saved Arthur's life, and at the time it had seemed like such a good idea. If he'd saved him once, and in a way that could've easily been sacrificial had he taken one second of hesitation, then surely he'd do it again if the need arose. And that assumption had proven to be correct, when the boy knowingly drank from the poisoned chalice that had been intended for the young prince. Uther liked servants who knew their place.

However, it seemed as if _Mer_lin had forgotten the very thing that had compelled Uther to hire him. The king decided it was time he remembered.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey, I haven't made an update in aaages :) Thanks for coming back!**

Gwen ran back to Gaius's chambers as quickly as she could. "Come on Merlin, we've got to go." She slung his arm over her shoulders and heaved him into a sitting position, throwing a cloak over him to offer what little disguise it could.

"Go? Where?"

"My house. You'll be safe there."

His mind was still muddled with exhaustion and weakness as she drug him out of the room. To her relief, it was still early and there were only a few people out to see them walking about. Gwen hastily pulled him into her home and latched the door shut behind them before leading Merlin to the bed.

Merlin's brows furrowed as he continued to try to understand. "… Why?"

"Uther's looking for you."

He took a few moments to respond. "Oh."

"It'll be okay. I won't let him hurt you." Merlin blinked slowly and they sat in silence as he pulled himself back to coherency. Finally, he spoke.

"If Uther wishes me harm, there's nothing anyone can do to stop him."

"We can make sure he doesn't find you."

"You're putting yourself in danger, Gwen! I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you."

"Then we'll just both have to agree to be careful, won't we? Because there's no way I'm going to risk losing you. We already know Uther's temper is violent. You saw what he did to Arthur, imagine how much worse it could be for you!" She stood up and went to her small kitchen space, rummaging in the hopes of finding something for him to eat. In her hurry to get away from the king, she had forgotten to get food from the kitchens.

She helped him to the table and set a bowl of broth and vegetables in front of him, with a bit of bread. "I'm going to go see Gaius, make sure you eat. Lock the door behind me and if you hear anything suspicious, there's a small trap door underneath the burlap flour sacks that you can hide in. Don't do anything stupid." He grinned at her as she left, then stood and turned the lock.

Gwen rushed up the castle stairway to Arthur's bedroom, and tapped on the door gently. "Who is it?" came the old man's voice from inside.

"Gaius, it's Gwen." After a few seconds the door opened, and he ushered her in. He could tell something was wrong the moment he'd heard her voice.

"What's happened?"

"Uther's after Merlin. I saw him near the kitchens, and he was angry. And he wanted to know where Merlin was."

Arthur's eyes widened and he sat up, frantically pulling himself to sit on the edge of the bed. "No!"

"Sire, you need to stay in bed," Gaius urged, trying to gently push him back down. The prince resisted and stood, his legs weak and shaky.

"I won't let my father hurt him."

"What do you think you can do in this state? You can hardly walk!"

Arthur stumbled around the screen and pulled on clothes as best he could before grabbing his sword from the mantelpiece.

"Arthur, please," Gwen steadied him with a gentle hand, "you're just going to hurt yourself."

"I cannot sit back and do nothing. I'll protect him." His knees wobbled and he nearly collapsed against the table.

"How?!"

The prince's face crumpled as his resolve began to dissipate. He slumped over and began to sob. "We won't let anything happen to him, Arthur," Gwen assured him as she helped him back to the bed.

"Where is he now, Gwen?" Gaius attention was drawn out the window across the town square.

"I took him to my house."

"Did anyone see you?"

"I can't be sure, why?"

Gaius headed to the door. "Because a couple of Uther's guards are heading that way. Stay with Arthur, no one is to enter this room, do you understand?"

"Yes." And with that, Gaius flew down the steps at a speed remarkable for his age.

He finally reached Gwenivere's home, uneasy when the door swung open with a gentle push. "Merlin? Merlin, are you in here?"

"G-Gaius?"

"Where are you?!"

"I'm… I'm under here." The old man followed the sound of his ward's voice, and realized there was a small latch on the floor. He bent down and opened the little door and found Merlin folded in on himself in the tight space.

"Oh, my boy…" He reached in and gripped him by his arm, hoisting him out. It was easier than it should have been, with Merlin being little more than skin and bones. The young man trembled, sobbing in relief and he leaned into his mentor's embrace. Gaius took cautious note of the lack of tears as he held him, whispering, "You're safe, Merlin. You're safe now."

After a few moments, Gaius stood and pulled Merlin up with him, helping him to the bed. "I thought… I was so sure they were going to find me."

"But they didn't. And that buys us some time. Perhaps you can go visit your mother in Ealdor until Uther cools down."

"I can't leave Arthur."


End file.
